Tienen alas, pero no las pueden usar: Stories of immigrants in search of work credentials

The engineer who is driving an Uber. The judge who fled her homeland and today is vacuuming downtown office buildings. The infectious disease doctor who came to the United States and found that the path to licensure was longer than her family could wait for her to send money home, so she works long hours as a home care aide.

The Latino Equity Fund at the Boston Foundation and Skillworks co-sponsored this new report from the Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy at UMass Boston. Entitled Tienen alas, pero no las pueden usar (“They have wings, but they cannot use them”): Stories of immigrants in search of work credentials, the report compiles the stories and experiences of twenty Latino immigrant professionals, illustrating the hurdles qualified immigrants face to continue their careers after arriving in the United States.

Looking at their experiences through six dimensions, the report highlights that there is no one fix to make the immigrant pathway to domestic credentials smoother. Rather, it will take a combination of information systems, support organizations, and greater research to unlock opportunities for these deserving and willing professionals.